A group of local PLHIV was empowered during a workshop held in Pattaya in September, 2004. They realized the need to form a strong poz-representative in Malaysia to speak out and be heard in international events. After several months of planning and execution, MTAAG+ was formed on the 21st December, 2005.
MTAAG+ is collaborating closely with Third World Network (TWN), a Malaysian-based international organization that has long experience and expertise in IP and public health. TWN’s office in Beijing is actively involved with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to strengthen links among PLHIV groups and NGOs in developing countries for advocating the use of TRIPS flexibilities in China to obtain large scale generic production. Successful implementation of the national program will strengthen MTAAG+ in this important effort.
The priorities for MTAAG+ are the national implementation of TRIPS flexibilities in law and practice, and the prevention of IP provisions in bilateral and plurilateral trade agreements that are against public health, in particular access to affordable medicines.
A landmark achievement in 2006 was that bilateral FTA negotiations between Malaysia and the US were halted when Malaysia’s 50 red lines which were raised by CSOs were not resolved – one of the strongest red lines related to the IP chapter that would have removed or restricted crucial TRIPS flexibilities for public health purposes.
MTAAG+ strongly represented the PLHIV community and was one of the leading protest voices in the intense national campaign. That experience and achievement are valuable with the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) that has become a major struggle in the last 3 years. The Malaysia-EU FTA is also of serious concern though it is temporarily slowed down with attention of the government on the TPPA. As the only developing country that actually had an advanced stage of bilateral negotiations with the US abandoned, it is very urgent that the ongoing anti-TPPA activism is further strengthened.
VISION
- To mobilize the Positive Community to take ownership of their lives and circumstances.
MISSION
- To develop a national network for better access to ARV treatment and common agenda for all PLHIV & Hep C groups in Malaysia.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
24th, July 2014 – Activists Hold Die-In to Protest High Price of Gilead’s Hepatitis C Drug in Melbourne IAC.
21st, July 2014 – Civil society dialogue with National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau of the Ministry of Health (MOH) for Kaletra price Regulation.
2&3, July 2014 – Multi-stakeholder National Consultation on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
MTAAG+ Proposed Title: Access To Hep C Treatment for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
Key conclusions:
- Earlier detection treatment.
- Develop national Hep C treatment plan.
- To adopt WHO treatment guideline.
- To access & affordable medicines.
- To create a treatment literacy.
The achievement being pulled together and once the report is finalised UN Malaysia will revert.
25th, April 2014 – Joint Statement On The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in Malaysia.
21st, Feb 2014 – ‘Zombies’ protest against TPPA.
13th, Dec 2013 – Intellectual Property Rights & Access to Medicine. A Patient Perspective.
27th, August 2013 – Joint Statement On The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in Malaysia.
15th,July 2013 – Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Round 18 Stakeholder Programme in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
1st, July 2013 – International AIDS Society Statement from Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Chris Beyrer On the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and Access to medicines (TPP) after our march in K.L.
1st,July 2013 – IAS 2013 KUALA LUMPUR COMMUNITY MEMORANDUM ON THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT & ACCESS TO MEDICINES.
11th, April 2013 – MEMORANDUM TO THE US EMBASSY On Global Day of Action against On Global Day of Action against FTAs.
Dec, 2012 – PLHIV Stigma Index. Malaysia. Released by MTAAG+.
15th, August 2012 – Accolades for Malaysian Health Minister’s remarks TPP.
8th, Feb 2012 – Malaysia’s Human Rights Commission mulling investigation into human rights impact of FTAs
3rd,Feb 2012 – MTAAG+ Memorandum to Human Rights Commission of Malaysia
5th, Sept 2011 – MALAYSIAN DECLARATION ON THE TRANSPACIFIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS & ACCESS TO MEDICINES.
23rd, March 2011 – IP Provisions in Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations Raise Public Health Concerns.
17th, Feb 2011 – Submission to Global Commission on HIV and the Law.
11th, March 2011 – UN Rapporteur for the Right to Health asked to intervene in the TPP negotiation.
MTAAG+ 